Beach sessions are some of my faves. And when they include an amazing family, I’m in my happy place! I grew up with this pretty mama and always love spending time with her adorable fam. This was my second time photographing them and I was so excited when they chose the beach as their location. Since they live in Carlsbad, it was only fitting that we ended up at South Ponto Beach (and especially since it’s a beach that they frequent as a family). We had a blast to say the least, it felt like we played the entire time. My kind of session! I couldn’t have asked for anything more. :)

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. It truly is my favorite time of year! I got to catch up with my wonderful clients / friends and meet new families as well. Once the busy holiday season of shooting subsided, I enjoyed lots of family time and even a fun desert road trip to the Grand Canyon (wow!)

One of my favorite sessions from 2018 was this lifestyle newborn session. It almost gave me baby fever…almost. ;) I just adore this gorgeous family and when they contacted me to photograph their newborn baby boy, I was beyond thrilled! I first met them a year ago when they were just a party of 3 and I couldn’t wait to capture their first moments at home as a party of 4. Thank you G family for inviting me into your beautiful home and allowing me to spend time with you all. It was such a joy to meet Baby C, he was a dream! And big sister was already taking her role seriously by helping out with diaper changes, so sweet! It just warms my heart watching their adorable family grow!

It’s been an exciting & busy past few months, full of family sessions and love. During this busy holiday season, I was humbled and honored to be featured in SDVoyager in their Inspriring Stories section. It’s a candid article about me and starting my photography business. Thank you SDVoyager for the feature, I’m forever grateful and blessed!

Tomorrow is a big day for my family. My little brother is going to marry the love of his life (who I absolutely adore) and I’m beyond overjoyed for them. They are seriously a perfect match and I wish them all the love and happiness in their new life together. So many different emotions are running through my mind and I know that I need to be prepared with lots of tissue on hand! Such a big family event like this is making me realize how much I miss my dad (who passed away 2 years ago). But I have no doubt that he will be looking over all of us, so proudly, with a big smile on his face watching his only son walk down the aisle. :)

Congratulations to Ferdi & Kim, love them both so much! Here are a few photos from their engagement session. There’s no denying that these two have so much love for each other and I can’t wait to see them make it official tomorrow. So many blessings all around!

This past weekend, we celebrated my future sister-in-law’s bridal shower. Her matron of honors outdid themselves with all the beautiful decor and details. From the gorgeous bride-to-be, scenery, guests, delicious food (thanks to Jun Nucup of bam! bun!), flowing drinks and sunset, the day couldn’t have been more perfect. We had a blast, in fact, I think we had too much fun since the bridal shower turned into a slumber party. Haha! We blame the Prosecco & Rose for that. ;) Counting down to the big day that Kimmy marries my little brother…getting my tissues ready!

Oh boy, I have been so bad about posting on my blog! We had a fun and busy summer full of beach days, pool days, museum days, a short trip to Palm Springs and lots of time with family & friends. With the kids now back in school (& #3 starting preschool), I can finally catch my breath and hopefully catch up on some blog posts.

Mother’s Day sessions are so special to me and one of my favorite sessions to photograph. Mamas are mostly the ones behind the camera so I love to dedicate these sessions to them. It gives them the opportunity to just put the camera down, relax and have fun with their little darlings. After all, there’s nothing quite like the bond of a mama & child. And usually what it captured from these sessions is pure magic, so natural and organic. This was my second time offering these sessions and I fall more in love every time. Here are a few glimpses of the beautiful mamas and kiddos I had the honor of spending time with.

My little cousin and his beautiful fiancee have so much history together. I had the pleasure of photographing their proposal (which had me in tears!) so naturally, I was so excited when they asked me to photograph their engagement photos. After much back and forth, they finally decided on Dixon Lake as their location and created some moments that reminded me of "The Notebook" (LOVED that movie). :) The beautiful couple, the colors, the light - this session gave me all the feels. I can't wait for their wedding this summer, these two are truly made for one another.

I can't believe it's been a year since I launched Christel Tran Photography. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that I'd be doing what I love as a career. This past year has been such a blessing, full of growth both personally and professionally. I've met some amazing families, reconnected with old friends and celebrated some milestones. So special!

Thank you to all my dear clients, family and friends for inviting me into your lives and allowing me to do what I love. Capturing those simple moments that you will always treasure is why I do what I do! I'm forever grateful for all the love and support. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Here are just a few of my favorite moments from 2017. I'm so excited to see what this next year has in store for me. 2018 I'm ready for you!